Friday, July 18, 2014

Creative Exercise

Both players in the following game engage in creative play. As is fitting, the one who adds a little "Jerome" to his efforts is the one who wins.

AndrejRussia - casaralta

blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 h6 


The Semi-Italian Opening. White has a number of moves - e.g. 4.0-0, 4.Nc3, 4.c3, 4.d3, 4.d4 - that can advance his game. Most allow Black to play 4...Bc5, opening up the opportunity to transpose to the Jerome Gambit with 5.Bxf7+.


4.b4


Reminiscent of some ideas of Philidor1792. See "Essence of Evans / Jerome / Halloween", for example. It is interesting that Houdini 3, at 22 ply, gives only one response - 4...Bxb4 - that leads to an advantage for Black, and only by about 1/3 of a pawn.


4...Nd4 


Couriouser and curiouser. Black transposes to a Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4), where his extra ...h7-h6 may or may not be more helpful than White's extra b2-b4.


Here are a few relevant games:


4...Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Qb3+ Kf8 8.O-O d6 9.d4 Qe7 10.d5 Nb8 11.Qb5 Bb6 12.Be3 Bd7 13.Qb3 Na6 14.Nbd2 Rb8 15.Nc4 Nc5 16.Bxc5 Bxc5 17.a4 Nf6 18.Ncd2 Kf7 19.Nh4 Rhf8 20.c4 Kg8 21.Qg3 Nh5 22.Ng6 Qf6 23.Qf3 Qxf3 24.Nxf3 Rf7 25.Ngh4 Nf4 26.Nf5 Bxf5 27.exf5 Rxf5 28.Nh4 Rf6 White resigned, wardcleophus - Kiera, blitz, FICS, 2013;


4...Nxb4 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Kf6 (6...Ke8 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Nc4+ Kc6 11.Ne5+ Kb6 12.Nc3 Nxc2+ 13.Ke2 Nxa1 14.Na4+ Ka6 15.Nc5+ Kb5 16.Qc4+ Kb6 17.Qb4# karapetov - goterpaws, FICS, 2009;  6...Ke6 7.Bb2 Nf6 8.Qf3 Nc6 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.Nf7+ Black resigned, karapetov - drissE, FICS, 20097.c3 (7.d4 d6 8.Qf3+ Bf5 9.Qxf5+ Ke7 10.Qf7# karapetov - hicoyoke, FICS, 2009Nc6 8.Ng4+ Kf7 9.O-O Bd6 10.d4 Be7 11.d5 Nb8 12.Ne5+ Kf6 13.Ng4+ Kg6 14.Be3 d6 15.e5 Bg5 16.Nd2 Bxg4 17.Qxg4 Nd7 18.h4 Nxe5 19.Qg3 Nf6 20.hxg5 Nfg4 21.gxh6 Rxh6 22.Bxh6 Kxh6 23.f4 Black resigned, BJCAS - codh, FICS, 2013;

4...Nf6 5.b5 Nd4 (5...Na5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Ke6 (7...Ke8 8.Ng6 Rg8 9.O-O Nc4 10.d3 Nd6 11.e5 Nxb5 12.exf6 Qxf6 Black resigned, BJCAS - teddydog, FICS, 2009) 8.d4 d6 9.Ng6 Rg8 10.O-O Kf7 11.Nxf8 Rxf8 12.f4 Kg8 13.Qf3 Bg4 14.Qg3 Qd7 15.a4 Nxe4 16.Qh4 Nc4 17.h3 Bf5 18.g4 Bh7 19.f5 Qd8 20.Qe1 d5 21.Na3 Ncd6 22.c4 dxc4 23.Nxc4 Nxc4 24.Qxe4 Re8 25.Qd3 Ne5 26.Qb3+ Kh8 27.dxe5 Qd4+ 28.Be3 Qxe5 29.Rae1 Qg3+ 30.Kh1 Qxh3+ 31.Kg1 Qxg4+ 32.Kf2 Qxf5+ 33.Ke2 Qg4+ 34.Kd2 Rad8+ 35.Kc1 Rxe3 36.Rxe3 Qg6 37.Rfe1 Qg5 38.Kb2 Rd2+ 39.Kc1 Rd5 40.Kb2 Rd2+ 41.Ka1 Bg8 42.Re8 Qf6+ 43.R1e5 Qxe5+ White resigned, xivarmy - walls, FICS, 2009) 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Bb2 Nxf3+ 8.Qxf3 Bd6 9.Nc3 Rf8 10.Nd5 Kg8 11.Nxf6+ Rxf6 12.Qb3+ Kh8 13.O-O Be7 14.Bxe5 Re6 15.f4 d6 16.b6 axb6 17.Bd4 Rxe4 18.Qc3 Bf6 19.Bxf6 Qxf6 20.Qxc7 Qf8 21.Qxb6 Ra6 22.Qb2 d5 23.d3 Rxf4 24.Rxf4 Qxf4 25.Rf1 Qd6 26.Qb5 Bd7 27.Qxb7 Rb6 28.Qa8+ Rb8 29.Qa5 Qb6+ 30.Qxb6 Rxb6 31.Rf8+ Kh7 32.h4 Rb1+ 33.Rf1 Rxf1+ 34.Kxf1 Ba4 35.c3 Bc2 36.d4 Bb1 37.a4 Bd3+ 38.Kf2 Kg6 39.Ke3 Bc2 40.a5 Ba4 41.a6 Kf6 42.Kf4 Ke6 43.g4 Kd6 44.g5 h5 45.Kf5 Bc2+46.Kf4 Black forfeited on time, umeshajm - lsatlow, FICS, 2013. 


5. Bxf7+ 


The Jerome Gambit treatment.


5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke6 


7. Ng6 Bxb4


Instead, 7...Qg5 8.Nxf8+ (not 8.Nxh8, Qxg2 winning) Kf7 9.O-O Kxf8 would be about equal. 


8.Qg4+ Kd6 9.e5+ Kd5 10.c4+




Even stronger is 10.c3 c5 11.cxd4, but White is thinking about Black's King. 


10...Kxc4 


A bit better was 10...Kc5, but Black's King would remain at risk. 


11.Na3+ Bxa3 12.Bxa3 c5 


This move is to protect the Knight, but it hems the King in.


13.Rc1+ Kb5 14.Rxc5+ Kb6 15.Qxd4 d6 16.Rxc8+ Ka6 17.Rxd8 Black resigned




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